The landlord had called that morning for his rent, which was long in arrears.

He must have it.

Sim laughed when he told Ralph this, but it was a shocking laugh; there was no heart in it.

Ralph would rather have heard him whimper and shuffle as he had done before.
"You shall not be homeless, Sim, if the worst comes to the worst," he said.
"Homeless, not I!" and the little man laughed again.

Ralph felt unease.